cast about

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English

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Etymology

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From cast (to try) +‎ about, perhaps dissimulated from becast (to cast about, plot). Compare also Old English costian (to try, examine). More at cast, costen.

Verb

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cast about (third-person singular simple present casts about, present participle casting about, simple past and past participle cast about)

  1. (intransitive) To try to find; look around; search.
    The hounds cast about for the fox's trail.
  2. (transitive) To plan; plot; contrive.